Authors note: I don't on The Little Mermaid or any of its characters. Wish I did though.
Ariel fought to keep her head above the water, but every time she re-emerged, she sunk back down again. Her arms were beginning to weaken and every time she opened her mouth to cry out for help, her mouth would fill with water and she would choke. She started to kick her legs as hard as she could and finally reached the surface. She gulped in air and managed to scream a cry of help before her legs gave in and she sunk beneath the water once more.
Eric heard a cry for help and raced to the edge of the cliff. He searched everywhere for Ariel, but she seemed to have disappeared while he had stepped away. He glanced over to her rock, and noticed her clothes piled on the ground. Eric's heart missed a beat as he stood there, his head screaming at him to move but his legs didn't seem to want to work.
"No." He whispered as he finally began to move and he raced down the rocks that separated the cliff from the beach. Without even thinking he stripped his shirt off and dropped it on the sand. He kicked his boots off and ran to the water and dove in. Ariel hadn't been able to swim since she had been given human legs, and he had told her countless times not to go in too deep. Maybe she hadn't meant to or maybe she slipped. But right now, Eric didn't care. All he wanted was to find her. And preferably, before she was lost in the deep blue.
Eric opened his eyes to search for Ariel, but he had to blink a few times, as the sea water had stung his eyes. He swam deeper as he searched for her, hoping she was alright. He was swimming around a few rocks, when he found her. She was suspended in the waves, unconscious. Eric kicked his legs harder as he tried to get to her as fast as he could. When he reached her, he gripped her around her waist and begun to swim upwards, holding her as close as he could with one arm.
Eric grasped for breath as his head broke the surface and clutched Ariel closer. Ariel opened eyes slowly and gulped in deep breathes, filling her sore lungs with refreshing air. She looked up into Eric's pain filled eyes, and tried to smile, before it disappeared as his eyes filled with anger.
"Look familiar?" she whispered, trying a joke but Eric ignored her and swam for the beach, pulling her behind him. When they reached the beach, he left her on the sand and stood up.
"What on earth were you thinking, Ariel?" he growled, turning as he yelled at her. "I specifically told you not to go in the ocean. And you didn't listen. I almost lost you today; I didn't want to lose you again."
Ariel looked up at him, tears falling down her cheeks, as she tried to keep air in her sore lungs as he throat burned with every breath.
"I didn't mean to. I wasn't even in that deep. I was up to my waist in water and I slipped. It was an accident, Eric."
Eric closed her eyes as she said his name, and his anger began to ebb away. He opened his eyes and smiled at her. He reached down at his feet and picked up his shirt and stepped towards her. Grinning, he gripped her waist and pulled her into his arms. Ariel pressed firmly up against him, glad for the warmth. But she loved it even more when he sought out her lips with his own and kissed her gently, before the kiss deepened and heated up. Ariel was clinging to him by the end of the kiss, and if he hadn't been holding her up, then she would have ended up on the sand again.
"Eric?" she whispered.
"Hmmm?" he answered as he pushed a few locks of her hair out of her eyes and tucked them behind her ear.
"I love you." She said simply, but she meant every word as she waited for his answer.
"I love you, too." He said as he leant closer and pecked her on the lips. This made Ariel smile, but deeper inside Ariel felt hurt and sad. Because she had wanted him to add four more words to the end of that. Eric took her hand and picked up her discarded dress and he led her towards the castle. Eric was silently screaming at himself. Why hadn't he asked her? He had seen the hurt, clear in her eyes. But yet he hadn't asked her.
When they entered the castle, he deposited Ariel and her gown off with Carlotta, who rushed her to the bath. Eric then rushed to the library and sat in a deep armchair by a fire and picked up his favourite book. Reading always took his mind off everything, and that's what he needed right now.
Grimsby had seen Eric enter the library in a hurry, and though he had been wet to his skin, he had sat in his favourite chair and begun reading. Grim knew his feelings for Ariel, and yet he was confused as to why the princes hadn't asked the young princess to marry him. She was clearly the right girl for him. And it had taken him days to figure out that. Though almost marrying an octopus wasn't exactly the way that Grim had expected it to go, though of course he was glad that that hadn't happened. And Eric seemed happy with the girl. So why didn't he give in to his feelings?
Eric tried to read, but he could feel himself being watched. So he dropped his book on the arm and turned to see Grim watching him intently. Eric sighed and climbed out of the chair and walked over to him, completely forgetting that he currently had no shirt on seen as he had given it to Ariel and that his boots were still by the fire. Eric slumped down in a chair next to Grim and a frown immediately settled on his face. Grim frowned at his frown and settled back in his chair, his gaze flicking to the fire across the room.
"I just can't seem to ask her, Grim."
"Eric you love her with all your heart. Ariel loves you with all her heart. So what is holding you back?" Grim asked quietly. Eric frowned again as he thought this over. I smile began to light his face, and before he knew it he was laughing with joy.
"Yes, you're right Grimsby, you old beanpole. She loves me; she loved me before she even knew me. And I think I may have waited too long to tell her, to ask her. I have to find her!"
And with that he raced from the room, searching. But he was unsuccessful.
Ariel was nowhere in sight.
More to come in chapter 3. So please R&R. It helps
